Biophysicist

Analyze the mechanical workings of plant and body parts.

What does a Biophysicist do?

“Biophysicist” is a fancy word that describes someone who finds answers. Not just any answers, but those closest to our hearts and minds—and other organs, too. How our lungs filter air, how our hearts pump blood, and how our brains calculate higher math are just a sampling of the answers you may seek as a biophysicist.

Although a large number of biophysicists study the many dynamic functions of the human body, others work with plants. How do they photosynthesize? How do some plants adapt to scarce water or sunlight? If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yeah, how does that happen?” you might have the inquisitive nature required for the job.

Of course, finding answers starts with asking the right questions, so you look at the world a little differently than the rest of us. Where we see a lightning storm, you see a dozen experiments and two dozen questions. If lightning and other natural elements pique your interest, you might choose to study the laws of nature.

Regardless of your field of study, the process is the same. You identify the question, design and implement an experiment to test your theory, carefully record the results, and draw conclusions from the information.

Your work is directly related to the entire scientific community. What you do requires skills across the physics, biology, chemistry, and math disciplines. Because of that, you learn from others and share your findings at conferences. You could even get your research published in a major scientific journal.